Confessions of a Weapons Crazed Kunoichi
by JanuaryFriend
Summary: Tenten is having a bad day. And with friends like these... Well, a ninja should never expect comfort.


Author's notes: I always wondered, what would happen if her scrolls ripped? Also, first fan fiction I've written in a while. Constructive criticism appreciated.

Confessions of a Weapons Crazed Kunoichi

Late as usual, although this time through little fault of her own, Tenten stomps into Konoha's most popular eatery one hot afternoon in mid-July. Quickly scanning the restaurant, she spots her girlfriends in a booth and hurries to join them. She's glad they are still here; this is one of those rare occasions when she feels the need for the company of females, rather than her testosterone filled team.

She slides into the booth next to Ino, who scoots away slightly and mutters something about coming to a luncheon straight from training. Tenten ignores her and is otherwise well received. Although all the girls are eating dessert, no one chastises her lateness. Temari even passes her a bowl of cherry flavored shaved ice. "Thank you," she says, doing her best to disguise the anger in her voice.

It's not enough. The other girls quickly catch on that something is wrong and they all stare as Tenten bites viciously into her ice. Sakura reminds her of the dangers of brain freeze.

Surprisingly, it is Hinata that speaks up. "Umm…excuse me, Tenten, but is something wrong?"

"Neji is an ass." She doesn't mean to say it, not really, she knows better. Ninja etiquette says that it's bad to criticize your teammates to others, but she's just so mad. She takes another large bite.

Temari, as quick witted and catty as ever, quips, "More like a piece of one." Sakura gasps, Ino giggles, and Hinata flushes red. Years with these girls have helped little. She's still easily embarrassed, and this is her cousin they are talking about.

Upset, the bun-haired kunoichi doesn't react and the moment passes.

Ino glances across the table at Temari and smiles sweetly. " I though you were into Shikamaru?"

Temari smiles back. She's older and better at this game, and irritating her boyfriend's teammate is one of her favorite pastimes. "I am, but that doesn't mean I can't look. After all, he must've been."

Although Ino and Shikamaru's relationship was never really clarified, everyone had assumed he and Ino would just argue their way into matrimony and Temari plays on this scenario, turning Ino into the woman scorned. The younger girl can't let an insult pass and she's reaching for the soy sauce with an intent to pour it on Temari's dessert when Sakura interrupts loudly, bringing the focus of their conversation back to Tenten. "So, what exactly did he do?"

Tenten lays her spoon down, takes a deep breath and readies herself to speak. Her friends wait with baited breath, wondering what Neji Hyuga must have done to make his most vocal supporter lose her temper with him. At the last moment though, she seems to think better of it and begins to eat again. The girls recognize a binge when they see it.

"Must be serious," Sakura says. Her inquisitive mind whirls into overdrive. "Did he say your cooking was bad?"

"No." Near as Tenten can tell, Neji finds her cooking passable.

Ino, her fight with Temari momentarily forgotten, chimes in, "Did he tell you to get away from him? That you were weak?" Although she'd only been flirting in the Forest of Death to save her squads' skins, their meeting and subsequent rejection still rankled.

"No." Maybe she should just tell them?

"Is he gay?" asks Temari, absolutely serious.

"No, that's not it!" Tenten practically shouts, more than a little disturbed that Temari would even think such a thing. Heads turn their way, then quickly turn round again. Konoha's famous weapons mistress looks dangerously close to snapping, and when she does, sharp objects will fly. Behind them, a group of genin quietly request their check.

Across the table, Hinata has begun choking on her tea. This new insinuation about her family member is just too much for her. Sakura absentmindedly begins patting her back in an effort to clear the constricted airways. Her gaze never wavers from Tenten. "Alright then, I give up-"

"So, what did he do?" Ino cuts her large fore-headed friend off.

The sight of Hinata turning blue robs Tenten of her rage, and she shoves her ice away, suddenly too distraught to eat it. "We were training." Here the other girls nod. What else would they have been doing? "And," she pauses, perhaps on the verge of tearing up, "he punched a hole in my best scroll."

Four pairs of eyes stare at her, and Tenten gives them a moment to absorb her information and realize the staggering implications before continuing. "And, I'm not sure, but I think it may have cost me my favorite katana." If the weapon had been en route to her hand, was it now lost in some dead space or simply returned to wherever she had summoned it from? The characters on the scroll destroyed, she was currently unable to try again and solve the mystery.

Hinata coughs again, and Tenten is jerked from her thoughts. The girls are still looking at her, but now they seem confused. Misunderstanding their deadpanned expressions, she hastens to explain. "You know, the one that I forged myself? With the custom grip and hilt?" Her friends now appear bored. Can they not see the value? She tries one more time. "The one with the scabbard that Gai-sensei bought me for my fifteenth birthday? Lacquer ware and silver filigree?"

Although weapons are important to the shinobi, they are so let down by Tenten's story that no one can summon words of comfort. Temari arches an eyebrow. "That's it? Sounds like an accident."

"He didn't apologize," Tenten mutters, but they are no longer listening. Ino, in fact, has begun teasing Sakura about restoring the Uchiha clan, and Tenten is completely forgotten.

_I should have known better than to expect sympathy from them. I should have told Lee, _she thinks. He, at least, would have looked appropriately concerned. Probably would have even cried a little. Tenten spends the next few minutes alone with her thoughts and the beginning of brain freeze.

Finally, while the other girls jabber on, Hinata leans across the table. Her voice is even quieter than usual due to her aching throat. "I'm sorry to hear about your sword. Maybe I can convince Brother Neji to buy you a new one."

For the first time in an hour, Tenten smiles.

Across the way, Jiraiya is scribbling like mad, inspired for the first time in a while. "Take that writers' block! _Confessions of a Weapons Crazed Kunoichi_, part one! Bestseller list, here I come again!"


End file.
